Automatic control and sanding device for cars operating on slippery rails.



J. S. DOYLE & F. HEDLEY. 1 AUTOMATIC CONTROL AND SANDING DEVICE FOR CARS OPERATING 0N SLIPPERY RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913.

Patentd Dec. '22, 1914.

IN ENTOHS W 4/ I I; I,

. WITNESSES JAMES S. DOYLE, 0F MOUNT VERNON, AND FRANK HEDLEY, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC eoiv'ra'ox. AND SANDING nnvrcn son cans OPERATING 01v SLiPPEIR-Y' RAILS. 1

1 ,121,98&

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES S. DOYLEfind FRANK HEDLE both citizens of theUnited States, residing, respectively, at Mount Vernon and Yonkers, in the county of West.- chester and State of New York, have invented, a certain new and useful Improvement, in Automatic Control and Sanding Devices for Cars Operating on Slippery Rails, of which or is otherwise in what is known as a slip-' pery or bad condition. Whe'nthe surface of the rail is in this bad or greasy condition, the wheels are liable to slip and 5pm around rapidly upon the rails when the power is applied to the motor, without having any material effect in propelling the car, and one of the obiects of our present invention is to provide means operating automatically at such times to out 01f the power.

and to apply sand to the rails. It is also well known that when running on a bad or greasy rail surface, the wheels are liable to become locked'and skid, or slide along the rails without turning, when the brakes are applied, and another object of this invention is to provide improved means operating automatically to apply sand to the rails in case the wheels slide.

In the operation of electrically propelled cars .two motors, at least, are usually employed, one being applied to an axle at each end of the car, or in the case of double truck cars, with four motor equipments, one motor being applied to each of the four axles, and with such equipments, it almost invariably happens that one pair of wheels will slip before the other, or another pair when the power is-applied to start or accelerate the car upon a bad or greasy rail surface. Consequentlythere will be'a dif v Specification of Letters Patent. t t D 22, 1914,

Application filed April 24, 1913. Serial No. 763,231.

' --ference between the counter electromotive force of the motor or armature of the axle or pair of wheels which is slipping and turning rapidly and that of the armature of the axle that is-nearly stationary or turning but very slowly, and it is this differene ti al in the counter electromotive force which is, according to our invention, utilized for effecting the automatic control, and sanding of the rails. one pair of wheelsbecomes locked or skids due to an application of the brakes, when running on a bad or greasy rail, and allother pair of wheels continues to revolve,

In a similarmanner, when there is also a dilferentia-l produced in the counter electromotive force of the armatures of sand axles, wh ch according to our invention, is also utilized to eflect. automatic sanding of the rails to prevent the sliding of the wheels.

Various forms of devices may be designed forpractising our invention, and wev have shown one preferred form of construction in the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic illustratiom' I As shown herein, our improvement is applied in connection with an electric car having a. standard two motor e, uipment, including motors having armatures A and A, with fields," F and F the armatures be:

ing applied to the axles of the respective pairs of wheels, W and, W The curren in the motor circuit may be controlled the usual line switch, S, having Q9113 located in the' control circuit, 2, as usuaL.

of the armatures when running with the power 0 t, n s h ls at f equal strength, and wound 1n opposite directions, the force exerted upon the di fi'erentiali relay will; baa-balanced and have no efl'ect r pen the switch, B, so long as the armatures and their corresponding pairs of wheels are rotating at the same, speed. In the normal position of the switch, B, the control circuit, 2, is closed and .the circuit, 3-, is open, and the various switches and circuits of the standard equipment may then be op-- erated in the usual way to control the running of the car. The circuit, 3, leads to the magnet-valves, Mand M controlling the supplyof air from a reservoir, 4, to either set of pneumatic sanding devices, 5 or 5*, located upon the opposite sides of the wheels for sanding in either direction. An interlock switch bar, R, actuated by the usual reverser is employed to close the circuit to the proper magnet valve, M or M according tothe direction the car is running.

With this construction, when the power is on, current from the line flows through the armatures, and also through the shunts containing the respective coils, D and D and as long as therespective pairs of wheels and corresponding armatures continue to rotate at the same speed, the counter electro-motive force and corresponding resistance of the respective armatures remains equal, consequently the same amount of current flows through the respective coils of the difierential relay. so that the eflect is balanced andthere is no movement of the switch, B. There will then be no current in the circuit, 3, and no action of either of the magnet valves to admit air to the sanding devices. If however, one pair of wheels should slip and spin around due to the rails being greasy or in bad condition, it will be evident that the greater counter electro-motive force of the corresponding rapidly revolving armature will increase the resistance to the flowof current through the same and consequently cause an increase in the.

amount of current from the line passing through the corresponding coil of the differential relay. This has the efiectof unbalancing the relay whereby it is actuated to raise the switch,B, thereby opening the control circuit, 2, leading to the coil of the line switch, and closing the sanding circuit,

3. One of the magnet valves, M' or M is thereby operated to supply air to one of the sanding devices, 5 or 5?, according to the direction of travel of the car, thus applying sand to the slippery rail's'urface toprevent the slipping of the wheels. 'At the same time, the line switch opens to cut 0E power from the motors. As soon as the respective pairsof wheels are again revolving at the same-speed, the differential relay becomes balanced, and the switch, B, returns to its normal position, opening the sanding cir- (3111i) and closing the control circuit. I The ."line switch then closes and current is again supplied to the motors to propel the car, th1s operation being repeated each time that mamas a pair of, wheels slips upon the rails. The motorman may throw his controller to the ofl position when the wheels slip, and in that case, ofcourse, the current will not be supplied to the motors again until the con-- troller is turned on. In a similar manner, when the power is shut off and the brakes are being applied, if the rails are greasy or in bad condition, and one pair of wheels pick up, and slides or skids along the begins to revolve again the switch, B, falls and opens the circuit, 3. In connection with this feature of our improvement, itis not essential that the electric machines operate as motors for propelling thecar, but merely as generators operatively connected to the respective pairs of wheels and driven thereby, and other propelling means may be employed if desired.

In some cases it may be desirable to continue the application of sand to the rails throughout the braln'ng application, even after the "sliding wheels begin to revolve, and for this purpose an additional potential relay, P, may be employed, having a switch, E, adapted to be moved to closed position by the'difi'erential relay, D, to close a circuit through the relay coil, P, and wire, 6, to the motormans brake valve, 7, upon the car, the brake valve being provided with switch means, 10, for closing connection between circuit, 6, and wire, 8, leading to the sanding circuit, 3, in all braking positions of the valve, and adapted to open said circuit, and to close connection between wire, 6, and a grounded resistance, 9, in the normal runhing position of the brake valve, as shown in full lines in the drawing. p

With this construction, when the differential relay operates to close the sanding circuit, 3, it also closes switch, E, energizing coil, P,'-which then operates to hold the switch, E, closed, independently of the relay, D. Current thenlfiows through wire, 6, swltch, 10, and wire, 8, to the sanding circuit and magnet valve as long as the brake valve remains in the braking positions, even after the differential relay is balanced? By this means the sanding device continues to supply. sand to the rails after the pair of I sliding wheels resumes its rotation, and untn the brake valve is moved to release the brakes.

When the rails are, in such a greasy coni mamas this pur pse, a grounded resistance, 9, may

be provi ed, having a contact point adapted to. be connected with circuit, 6, by the switch means, 10, of the brake valve, 7, when in normal running position, as indicated in the drawing. Then when the differential relay is operated by the slipping of a pair of wheels, as before described,- the switch, E, of the potential relay, P, is closed andcurrent flows through coil, P, circuit, 6, switch, 10, and resistance, 9, to ground, thereby holding switch, E, closed and circuit, 6, energized duringthe time that power is applied to propel thecar. The switch means, 10, of the brake valve is arranged to make an electrical connection between wires, 6 and 8.

A just before the connection between wires, 6

and 9, is broken, as the brake valve is turned from normal running position toward braking positions, indicated by the lower dotted lines, therefore circuit, 6, remains energized and the magnet valve of the sanding circuit is actuated by current through connecting wire, 8, when the brake valve is moved apply the brakes.

When the brake valve is thrown to full release position, whichis beyond the position for running, as indicated by the upper dot ted line, the switch means, 10, first disconnects the wire, 8%, and then passes oil from the wire, 6, thereby opening the circuit and deenergizing the coil, P, whereupon the switch, E, falls, leaving the circuit, 6, open when the brake valve is returned to its normal running position. I

It will now be apparent that by means of our improvement, we provide for automaticallyapplying sand to the rails when a pair of wheels slips, due to a bad or greasy condition of the rail surface, and also when a pair 0t wheels slides orskids due to the same. cause, when the brakesare applied. Also,

the automatic application of sand may then be. further continued throughout. the braking operation; or where the wheels slip at start- .ing, the sand will be automatically applied at and throughout the next braking application, therebv preventing skidding of the wheels.

Havlng now descrlbed 01111I1V6I1t1011, what we cla1m as new and desire to secure by Let- "ters Patent is 1. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combinationwith a plurality of pairs of wheels, and separate electric motors for driving different pairs of wheels. of electric mechanism operating automatically by the slipping of one pair ofvwheels relative to another pair to apply sand to the rails.

2. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the

combination with a'plurality of pairs of wheels, and separate electric motors for driv ng different pairs of wheels, of electric mechanism operating automatically by the.

the motors and apply sand to, the rails.

8,. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels, and separate electric motors fordriving different pairs of wheels, a fluid pressure sanding device, and electric mecha: nism operating automatically by the slip-' ping of one pair of wheels relative to another pair to supply fluid to said sanding dev1ce.

l. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels, and ,separatejelectric generators operatively connected to difi'erent pairs of wheels, of electric mechanism operating automatically upon the skidding of one pair of wheels relative to another pair to'apply sand to the rails.

5. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels, and separate electric motors for driving different pairs of wheels. of means governed bythe differential in the counter electromotive force of the motors for" controlling a supply of sand to the rails.

6. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels, and separate electric motors for driving different pairs of wheels, of means governed by the differential in the counter electromotive force of the motors for controlling the current supply to said motors and applying sand to the rails.

7 In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a pluralityof wheels and axles, and electric motors applied to said axles for propelling the car, of differential coils, one connected to each motor, and means governed by said differential coils for supplying sand to the rails.

8. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination-with a plurality of wheels and axles, and electric motors applied to said axles for propelling the car, of a differential relay having a coil connected across the armature of each motor, and electric contact means operated by the difierential of the current'produced in said coils for controlling a supply of sand to the rails;

9. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of wheels and axles, and electric motors applied to said axles for. propelling the car, of differential 10. In a controlling apparatus for cars,

the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels and generators operatively connected to the same, of means operating automatically by the rotation of the wheels at difi'erent speeds for controlling a supply of sand to the rails, a brake applying apparatus, and

' means governed thereby for also controlling to thesame, of an electric circuit for controlling a supply of sand to the rails, a relay device operated by the rotation of the wheels at different speeds for opening and closing the sanding circuit, and a brake valve having means for also controlling the sanding circuit.

13. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of wheels and generators operatively connected to thesame, of an electric circuit for controlling a supply of sand to the rails, a relay device 'operatedby the rotation of the wheels at difierent speeds for opening and closing the sanding circuit, and a brake valve having switch means adapted to supply current to the sanding circuit in the braking positions of said valve and to open said circuit in the normal running-position of said valve.

14. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with the Wheels, and motors for propelling thercar, of a brake valve having contact means for closing an electric cir-' cuit when in braking position,'asanding device operated by current in said circuit, and

means operated automatically by the slipping of the wheels under power to close said circuit to the brakevalve contacts.

15. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with the motors and aplurality of pairs of wheels, of a sanding device,

an electric circuit for controlling the same, a bralge device having contacts for controlling the current in the sanding circuit, a supply circuit leading to brake device contacts, and having a potential relay and mamas switch, and means operated automatically by the slipping of a pair of wheels under power to close said switch. 1

16. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with the motors and a plurality of pairs of wheels, of a sanding device, an electric circuit forcontrolling the same, a brake device having contacts for controlling the current in the sanding circuit, a supply circuit leading to the brake device contacts, a switch and a relay coil in said supply circuit, the coil operating to hold said switch closed when energized, and means operated automatically by the wheels rotating at difi'erent speeds to close said switch.

In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination with a plurality of pairs of Wheels, and motors for ,propelling the car in either direction, of electrically operated sandingdevices for applying sand to the rails upon either side of the wheels, and switch mechanism interlocked with the motor reverser for cutting in either sanding device according to the direction the car is running.

18. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination of a plurality of pairs of wheels,- separate electric generators operatively connected 'to difl'erent pairs of wheels, and means governed "by the differential in the current produced by said generators for preventing 'skiddin of the Wheels.

19. In a controlling apparatus for cars, the combination of a plurality of pairs of wheels, separate electric generators operatively connected to different pairs of wheels, and means governed by the current from said generators for controlling a supply of sand to the rails.

20. In a controlling apparatus for cars,

the combination ofa plurality of pairs of Wheels, separate electric generators operatively connected to difi'erent pairs of Wheels, difl'erential coils, one connected to each generator, and means governed by said coils for controlling a supply of sand to the rails.

' JAMES S. DOYLE. FRANK HEDLEY.

Witnesses:

C. V. SMITH, WARREN MARCUS. 

